Differential leaks

[depmike38]

I'm trying to get the brakes on the car finished this next week and thought it might be a good idea to do the rear axle seals at the same time. Two questions, 1) Do the axles just slide out of the tubes like on a great many of Ford 9" rear-ends or do they have some type of retainer inside the carrier housing and 2) Is it lubed with good old 90wt or something else?

[Don Henschel]

Even though it's not a removable carrier axle, the procedure is exactly the same. Remove the drum, and you will notice a hole in the axle flange of which you line up with the 4 nuts on the axle retainer plate one at a time. You may need a puller to tug the axle and bearing out of the diff. housing. And then of course you have the metal shrink ring as a retainer up against the bearing. The manual shows breaking the ring to remove,but I use a press with a bearing puller and press the ring off, and if ok, heat up to expand and reuse if I have to. If I can easily get a new one I do but if the old one seems to fit tight cold I heat and reuse. 75W90, 85W90 are OK, but check if you have a limited slip diff. and use that type of oil as necessary.

[Barry Wolk]

Since mine seems to have a '57 drive train it may have LSD. How can I tell?

[Don Henschel]

Other than the yellow stripe reported to be on them (I wonder about that) jack up the car with both wheels (rear;)) off the ground. Turn one wheel forward and the other one will turn in the same direction. If you have a regular diff, the other wheel will turn in the opposite direction. Or if all else fails use the same oil for both. Quaker State makes a gear oil for limited slip in a handy squeeze bottle ment for both at the same price as the "special" oil. When I used to run a garage I just kept that oil around.